Glasgow church invests in community

On the east side of Glasgow, Scotland, wedged between an Indian take-out restaurant and a tiny convenience store, is a row of shuttered windows. Above are the words “THE CHARTER,” with a “For Sale” sign that cuts off the word “BAR.” The paint is shabby, the walls have been tagged with graffiti more than once, and half a mile away, Parkhead Church of the Nazarene are the new owners.

Under the leadership of Pastor Ian Wills, the Parkhead congregation has made it their objective to continually invest in their community. With this new property, they hope to breathe a new spirit into an area of their city very much in need.

The bar, which was shut down in 2014, had a reputation for attracting a rough crowd. Now, as the church moves in to renovate, they are hoping to offer positive opportunities in a place where real community can form.

The process began back in 2016 as the congregation grew to the limits of their current space. During this time, they began to consider church planting. So, when the old bar was put up for sale, the timing seemed right.

The Charter Bar “ticked a couple of boxes,” said Pastor John Craig, part of the team working to repurpose the bar. “Firstly, it is local enough to be another space that some groups at Parkhead Nazarene Church could use.” And, in addition to helping ease space constraints, the bar is far enough from Parkhead church to be able to “explore missional opportunities to that particular location.”

The church did not have the funds to buy the property, but they secured a loan and moved forward on faith that this new outpost in their community would be supported. They’ve held fundraisers at Parkhead, as well as sought grants and even created an online giving page.

Acquiring the new building, which they hope to open this summer, has not been entirely seamless. It took some effort for them to even discover who exactly was selling the building. And then there was the city planning department. Projects like this don’t fit into the traditional boxes for a city — it’s not a cafe, it’s not a bar, but it’s not exactly a “church” either. Eventually, they were able to make the case that their use of the building would be classified as a “place of worship.”

The Church of the Nazarene in Parkhead also places a high value on partnerships, and their new endeavor is no different.

“The Charter sits almost exactly equidistant between Parkhead Nazarene and another evangelical church, namely Easterhill Community Church, with whom there are both historic and current links and overlaps in friendship and ministry,” Craig said.

The Easterhill congregation is excited for the opportunity to make use of the new community-centered space that the Parkhead Church of the Nazarene is pioneering.

As for a new name to put on the building, they haven’t settled on anything yet.

“‘The Charter’ (which means “Royal Decree”) seems to be the default that is stuck in people’s minds,” Craig said, although he points out that discussions about renaming the building are ongoing.

About Us

The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant Christian church in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. Organized in 1908, the denomination is now home to about 2.5 million members worshipping in more than 29,000 local congregations in 162 world areas.